AOG Technics’ director pleads guilty to fraud over fake plane parts sales

The director of AOG Technics, the company at the center of a probe into the sale of counterfeit plane parts, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraudulent trading. AOG Technics Ltd.’s director, Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London today wearing a blue suit and tie, speaking only to confirm his name and enter his plea. He was charged by the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office earlier this year. [caption id="attachment_57293380" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] AOG Technics Director Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala in June. (Courtesy/Bloomberg)[/caption] A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 23. The fraudulent trading charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years of imprisonment. “This significant and audacious fraud threatened trust in the aviation industry and risked public safety on a global scale,” Emma Luxton, director of operations at the SFO, said. Bloomberg News was first to report that airlines and maintenance shops had discovered parts with fabricated certification of origin, forcing them to remove components from engines. Read more about this case: GE, Safran find more jet engines with bogus parts in AOG probe

Fake spare parts were supplied to fix top-selling jet engine

Zamora Yrala, 37, was accused of defrauding customers by falsifying documentation that related to the origin, status or condition of aircraft parts while a director of AOG Technics between 2019 and 2023. The company’s customers included airlines, maintenance providers and parts suppliers, the agency said. Fake parts allegations The scandal was discovered in 2023 by engineers at TAP Air Portugal’s maintenance subsidiary. While studying a CFM56 engine for repair, they noticed that a replacement part, which had paperwork saying it was straight off the production line, showed signs of wear. Safran SA, which makes CFM engines with General Electric Co., determined that the paperwork had been forged. That sent airlines scrambling to inspect their aircraft for so-called suspected unapproved parts. They were found on older-generation Airbus SE A320 and Boeing Co. 737 aircraft. Zamora Yrala established AOG in Hove, England, in 2015, corporate records show. The SFO arrested the part-time DJ, who’s originally from Venezuela, in late 2023. The agency is working with the Portuguese Procuradoria-Geral da Republica and the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The Portuguese investigation remains ongoing. Register here for Cargo Facts ’ free webinar, “Full thrust: Navigating engine challenges in the freighter segment,” on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 11 a.m. ET. Cargo Facts LATAM 2026, the essential event for stakeholders in Latin America, will take place Feb. 10-12 at the Marquis Reforma in Mexico City. Learn more and register by Dec. 26 to take advantage of early-bird pricing. Cargo Facts Asia 2026, the indispensable event for Asia-Pacific stakeholders, will take place March 23-25 at the W Shanghai. Learn more and register by Feb. 6 to take advantage of early-bird pricing. The inaugural Cargo Facts Routes and Airport Conference will take place April 27-28 at the Marriott Al Forsan Abu Dhabi. Learn more and register by March 13 to take advantage of early-bird pricing.